Edit This Page
Edit This Page

Section 4 Sea- Floor Spreading


Vocabulary


mid- ocean ridge- the longest chain of mountains in the world.
sonar- a device that bounces sound waves of underwater objects and then records the echoes of these sound waves.
sea- floor spreading- the process that continually as new material to the ocean floor.
deep- ocean trenches- a deep under- water canyon.
subduction- the process by which the ocean floor sinks back into the mantle.

Outline


Mapping the Mid- Ocean Ridge

  • in the mid 1900's scientists mapped the mid- ocean ridge using sonar.
  • it extends through all the world oceans.
  • most mountains that are in the mid- ocean ridge lie under water, but in some places the ridge pokes above the surface.
Evidence for Sea- Floor Spreading

  • a man named Henry Hess, an American geologist, studied the mid- ocean ridge and carefully studied maps of the mid- ocean ridge.
  • evidence from molten material
    • rock shaped like pillows and toothpaste
  • evidence from magnetic strips
    • iron lined magnetic pole
  • evidence from drilling samples
    • youngest rock near center of ridge, the older the more far away
Subduction at Deep- Ocean Trenches

  • deep- ocean trenches subducts the ocean floor
  • ocean floor sinks back into the mantle
Subduction and Earth's Oceans

  • ocean floor renewed every 200 million years subduction in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean
  • Pacific ocean covers one third of the planet but is shrinking
  • Atlantic ocean is expanding
    • less short trenches, more ridges